Apparatus for treating inert gas



Dec. 15, 1959 T. WALBANK APPARATUS FOR TREATING INERT GAS Filed March 1. 1955 ALI 7 IN VEN TOR. T/IOMS 4044844 M z/kww This invention relates to a process for changing inert gases to non-inert gases for immediate use, preferably such as in anitriding furnace, i

This inventionfurther relates to apparatus for this pur-. pose. It is the object of the present invention to provide, a novel method and apparatus for changing inert gases to non-inert gases.

Heretofore, certain gases such as nitrogen, helium,

argon, neon, xenon, krypton, and others,'known to be normally inert, have been incapable of chemical combinationwith other elements or compounds. It. has been found as a result of, the present invention that the iner t char acteristic of these gases will be lost once the mole'culesT thereof have been subjected to an electrostatic or magneticfield in such a way that the molecules of a p'articular'gas have apparently acquired an extra charge of nee" tricity. So charged, these. gasesare rendered sufi'iciently' active as to permit the formation of new chemical combinations.

In the manufacture of a protective shield against radioactive emission, it is recognized that such a shield will be effective for its intended purpose if it has the characteristic of not absorbing neutrons. Accordingly, if such a shield can be constructed of a substance which will not absorb neutrons, an effective shield may be provided. This is believed to be true of the inert gases wherein it is believed that, as the molecules will not combine with molecules of other substances to form compounds, in effect, these inert gases will not absorb neutrons.

For example, nitrogen as inert gas, will normally not react with steel unless the nitrogen is a nitrogen which is disassociated from a chemical compound such as ammonia as NH If the ammonia is broken down such as H NH H the nitrogen molecule apparently has an extra charge of electricity and is an active gas, which has been used to form nitrides such as have been employed in the case hardening of steel, for example. It is assumed that the nitrogen molecules as disassociated and separated from the hydrogen molecules have acquired an extra electrical charge, or some other characteristic which now renders this nitrogen molecule active and capable of chemical combination.

Following this, it is believed that inactive or inert nitrogen might be given this extra charge of electricity in a more simplified manner than in the electrolysis or the breaking down of ammonia such as by directly applying to the inert nitrogen or other inert gas an extra charge of electricity. 7

.It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby inert gases such as nitrogen or any of the others above listed, or other inert gases not listed, may be passed through an electrostatic field which carries a high potential and whereby the molecules of the gas will pick up an extra electrical charge or other characteristic which renders 2' the molecule an active molecule capable of chemical combination. a

It is the furtherobject of the present invention to provide a mechanismin the nature of an envelope such as ploy the present process for rendering more useful the presently noninert gases such as the gases above set forth. It is the further objectto thereby provide for the formation of many new compounds which heretofore were not possible by utilizing nitrogen or other inert gas 7 in active form having the proposed extra charge and coinbining with other elements or compounds.

It is the further object of utilizing the compound so obtained for the case hardening of steel or other metals I for use in the construction of a shield against radioactivity. 1

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claim in pended drawingginwhichz- I 7 The figure is a. diagrammatic illustration of an electron tube to be used in the present process.

A It will lie/understood that the' above drawing is il-K lustrative only of one preferred form, of apparatus for accomplishing the present method,' and that other apparatu s fma'yf bef employed for this purpose without departing, froni thescope of.thefpresent invention. a

Referring to{the. drawing, the electron :tube consists;;--. ofrany es r d-s a a d h ch 1 of a sealed envelope 1 has an interior chamber 12 with communication thereinto provided by inlet 13. The opposite end of the envelope is provided with a suitable outlet 14 which includes a control valve 15 for regulating the flow of gas therethrough.

Within the envelope there are provided a series of alternately arranged spaced baflle plates 16 which extend from opposite side walls of envelope 11 in overlapping relation to thereby provide a circuitous pathway for the passage of gases through the envelope.

Adjacent each of the said baffles there are provided in the preferred embodiment of the present apparatus a series of electrical coils or filaments 17 of such material which will have electron emitting characteristics when rendered incandescent, such as platinum, vanadium, tungsten, or any other compound which is well known for this purpose, such as are used in the construction of radio or electron tubes. The lead wire 18 from a source of electricity is joined to the envelope 11 as at 18' and continues to the first coil 19 as indicated by the arrow. In the present embodiment all of the coils are connected in series and accordingly the electrical current will then pass through each of the coils with the last coil thereof, such as coil 20 being connected as at 21 with a return lead wire 22 for completing the electrical circuit to the source of electrical energy employed. The potential at which the current is supplied may be regulated in a conventional manner, it being understood that the potential is such that the coils will be rendered incandescent and will emit electrons which will flow in the general direction towards the grid 23 which is grounded as at 24.

A tank of inert gas is indicated at 25 with a relief valve 26 thereon and having a compressor or pump 27 which will withdraw the gas and deliver the same through conduit 28 to inlet 13. Conduit 29 connects the outlet 14 with a receiver 30 within which is stored the gas to which has been applied an extra electrical charge. Receiver 30 may be a nitriding furnace;

In operation, the inert gas is passed through the cir-' cuitous passageway within the electron tube around the conjunction. with the ap- A the apparatus and there is s't'dred Withinreceiver '30 an active gas which is capable of chemical combination? These inert gases are thus available for the {formation of new compounds or useful compounds and are-pmduced by an electronic method which is believe'dmore satisfactory than the separation of a nitrogencompound such as ammonia which would produce moleculesof nitrogen which appear to have activecharacteristics.

As one specific use to which the present process may be applied, it is assumed thatthe inert gas delivered through the envelope is nitrogen and which is'stored under compression in receiver 30, and which nitrogen has the characteristic of being able to make chemical combination.

With nitrogen, nitrides may be'formed by which steel plate or other metallic substances may be case hardened and thereby have an exterior layer which may under certain conditions partially penetrate the skin of the metal and which case hardened layer has different characteristics than the remainder of noncase hardened material.

For example, 'this case hardened metalmay be employed in a construction of a shield against radioactivity. It is believed that the nitrogen molecules in the nitride employed in the case hardening process have somehow lost their charge of electricity, and are again given an inert characteristic, such that they will no longer transmit therethrough neutrons.-

Whether the nitrogen molecule has lost its positive charge in the case hardening process, or whether it has acquired some new characteristic, it is believed that the case hardened layer so produced will'have the characteristic of resisting the passage therethrough of neutrons,

and will not absorb neutrons such as the possibly harmful neutrons from radioactivematerial. At least, the nitrogen molecules having the original extra charge or other characteristic acquired in the above process have again become neutron resisting. While nitrogen has been set forth as one specific use, it is contemplated that others of the normally inert group of gases may also be em- ,ployed in obtaining a casewhich will resist passage of neutrons.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claim which follows for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

An electron tube comprising a sealed envelope having a closable inlet and outlet, a plurality of electron discharge coils within the envelope adapted for connection to a source of electrical energy, means for delivering ,an inert gas through said envelope past and adjacent said coils and out from said envelope, and a series of staggered baflle plates within said envelope and joined thereto providing a circuitous passage for said gas through saidenvelope, said coils being wound around the bafile References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,064,260 2,072,416 Berndt et al; Mar. 2, 1937 2,489,436 Salisbury Nov. 29, 1949 2,580,360 it Morrison Dec. 25, 1951 2,583,898 1 Smith Jan. 29, 1952 2,680,814 Robinson June 8, 1954 2,684,329 Rouy July 20, 1954 2,723,349 Rylsky Nov. 8, 1955 Herrmann -1 "Dec. 15,1936 

